Microswitches are widely used as limit switches, and are desired to be reliable and compact. Further, they must be suitable for automated mass production in order to reduce the cost. In automated mass production, terminal pieces are mounted by automated assembly machines, and it is therefore important that terminal pieces may be mounted without requiring high positional precision, but the terminal pieces must be kept securely in position once they are mounted.
Also, since the terminal pieces are kept in position by the casing of the microswitch, a considerable dimensional accuracy is required to keep the terminal pieces securely in position without involving excessive play or deformation of the casing.
Further, the interior of the casing is so small and, hence, the distance between the outer ends of the terminal pieces and the contact mechanism formed at their inner ends is so small that a special care is required to prevent soldering flux from infiltrating into the casing interior or into the contact mechanism when soldering lead wires to the outer ends of the terminal pieces.